Neapolitan flavor

This is actor Turturro’s love song for the music of his ancestral Naples, focusing on the canzone napoletana, a type of music that sounds vaguely Spanish to the uninitiated ear, which was made popular by that most famous Neapolitan singer, Enrico Caruso. Here it’s interpreted by artists illustrating the many influences on his style, from Moroccan rhythms and reggae beats to jazz, singing among decoratively neglected facades. Turturro adds little boys playing soccer and historical scenes but never manages to really show what makes the Neapolitan relationship to singing something special.

PASSIONE | Directed by John Turturro (Italy, USA 2010) Documentary. Opens April 7